The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-04-30
IN THE SLUMS.
A Day Spent There by q City
"Child."

Early one September morning stray ray
of the sun slipped around the corner Of a
big warehouse, and stealing over a bit of
musty rug that had been thrust into one of
the upper windows Of q Cherry street tene-
ment house, fell hotly on the face of man
who was sleeping within the room. 1t was
q brutal face. The sunlight crept with the
tardiness Of repugnance over the puffy, dis
colored cheeks, the sunken eyes, stubble-
bearded jaw and half open mouth, with its
protruding tusks. The man was partially
dressed, and his hard-featured wife, who
lay by his side on the straw pallet, had dis
carded nothing but her shawl when she re-
tired the night before. In another corner
two girls slumbered peacefully and three
children lay sprawling on some old clothes
near the stove. In the middle OF the mean
and squalid room lay can with the stains
of beer on the floor near it. Flies buzzed
about The air was sitting.
The sun burned in the purple hollows Of
the mans eyes until he moved uneasily, and
then, suddenly waking, sat up and glared
savagely around. His eyes fell on the
crippled form of wan-faced boy sleeping
beside the stove, and seizing one Of his
hobnailed boots he sent it whizzing across
the room. It struck the child. With o
sharp cry he struggled to his knees and
began hastily to strap on an artificial leg,
sending up string Of shrill-voiced curses
che while. Then he stopped swearing
abruptly and began to whimper as he asked I:
''Wha' d'y' wan fadder"
9TH marnin' loaf, y twisted brat. Quick
Git out Of here"
The boy half Strengthened his curved
back, grabbed his clothes in his skinny
little hands, and stumbled and hoped out
To-, xk1 -
washed his face in the moldy sink, brushed
aands, clothed his crooked form and
presently went limping of toward neigh
boring baker's shop with the corners of his
mouth drawn down.
"Saure, Corkey," said the bakers wife,
slipping tart into the hand of the crippled
ten-year-old along with the loaf Of bread,
..yer's whites flour-sieve this mornin'"
''It's me leg Mrs. Murphy" said the lad,
deftly stealing another tart as the woman
turned away. SIT alters hurts me whin |
put it ON first.'
Ho went limping back, clasping his Grip
pied log with his hand but smiling craftily
over his shoulder at the bakers shop as he
munched the stolen tart.
He was New York boy, born in the
slums, reared amid penury, want and dis
trcss, with pitiful physique and invalid'H
face and the shrewd, sportiva and mocking
nature OF hundred thousand Of his fel.
low-children Of the gutter. Even at that
carly hour there were many Of his play
matos about. One OF them was sitting on
q coal box, looking up toward the eighth
story of y gloomy looking tenement across
the way, whore o candle still ficketed In
Cne OF tho windows.
t3it ontO de- li0ht nm IN Widdar Grouan,s
room, Corkey," said the lad on the GOAL box
with u delighted grin.
"What's 1t furi"
star Mrs. Grogan's daughter Mol, what
wint of wild the pick-i-nic Of de- 'soc' c''ashun
OF Perfect Gents OF do Forth ward yester'
day mornin' AM amt got back yit Do ole
woman's bin waitin' all night fur her. She
thinks Moll's drowndedn tr..,
Tho sharp face Of the cripple lighted up,
and limping hurriedly into the middle Of
the street, he screamed with such shrillnsss